One of my nephews was a nationally ranked badminton player. At that level of play, it’s not much like the kids-in-the-backyard version. Really good table tennis is a far cry from rec-room play, too.
Never played or watched pickleball.
Table tennis is fun to play, but watching? Meh, I dunno- it’s OK for a few matches I guess, but again, it’s not tennis, and not a large gathering of fans. It’s a niche sport, like pickle ball or badminton. I played agaisnt some really good players, table tennis, and it was a blast, but again, playing it is better than watching it. The pros of course are much more skilled, quick, etc. But to me it’s just confined to too tight an area, whereas things like tennis take skill and a ton of endurance.
I like wa5ching ax and knife throwing and darts from time to time, but I dunno, they just don’t have “It” as far as primetime “sports” go imo.
I know what you mean. My nephew is ranked #2 nationally in pickleball men's doubles. He plays on a whole other level.
The shorter distances and slower whiffle ball make this a safer game for seniors than tennis. Injuries are just showing up on a national level because of the extremely high popularity. It's doing more good than harm. Leave pickleball alone.